STINGRAY NEWS

Friday, December 20 is an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 12:50 pm.

Below are the students recognized this week by staff for demonstrating positive character. Great job students, we are proud of you!

Student’s in Mr. Gamble’s Agriscience Class have been enjoying the literal “fruits” of their labor. Starting in August, the students cleared the garden beds, prepared the soil, and through seeds donated from Seedway, grew a healthy crops of corn, tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds. Additionally, the students used indoor aeroponic towers to grow a variety of greens, such as Swiss Chard, kale, red lettuce, arugula, and sweet basil. Last Friday, the students enjoyed a mixture of the different fruits and vegetables for a delicious salad party. Below are some pictures thathad been previously shared months ago, along with ones of students enjoying the food recently harvested.

Please see the message below from INK regarding the competition, and PLEASE vote for the GRMS Tree using the link below. Thanks to our PTO for decorating the tree, awesome job! A picture of our tree is below so you know for which one to vote.

The Holiday Tree online polls opened at 10:00 AM today. Votes will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 19th. We will announce the top 3 School Trees on Friday, December 20. (See the photo of this year’s trophies below.)

To VOTE visit: voteholidaytrees.com

• Share this link with your students, parents, school community, supporters, and friends – near and far!
• The School Tree with the most votes will win $1,000, 2nd Place = $500, and 3rd Place = $250!
• Individuals can vote once per day – every day – until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, December 19.
• This year we have 22 schools competing, so…
• The competition is fierce…it’s up to you to out the vote!
• If your school did not participate this year, we hope you’ll join in the fun in 2025! Until then, visit the website and vote for your favorite tree, your friends’ tree(s), your neighboring schools’ tree(s)! This is truly an event I which “More is Merrier!”

Trees will be available for pick up at the Old Town Trolley Depot after 12:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20. Details will follow next week regarding the big reveal of the Top 3 Trees and how you can retrieve your tree after voting closes next week.

GOOD LUCK!

- Your friends at Old Town Trolley & INK!

Please see the attachment regarding rules for this year's contest. Note that the deadline for submission is January 31, 2025 and that the theme this year is, “The time is always right to do what is right.” - MLK JR

Ms. Chandrasekharan's Band and Choir classes performed at a combined concert Thursday evening. The event took place in the PMHS Auditorium. The two band directors did a great job putting this together and both the Stingrays and the Falcons and all students performed wonderfully. Below are pictures, in order, of: Beginning Band, Advanced Band, Jazz Band, and Choir. The Choir performed alone then with PMHS Band as well as our Advabcd band in the finale.

GRMS hosted the Thespain Society's MS Competition this past Saturday. Students from school across five counties were in attendance. Winners performed for everyone to clsoe out the day long event.

Ms. Montgomery shared results for Stingrays who competed:

In addition to hosting, a handful of students competed in Individual Events in their respective categories; below are the results. They have been practing and perfecting their pieces for the past couple of months - so please give them a shoutout!!

Superior scored events:

• Greyson Smith and Tristan Moore: Improvisation
• Bella McDonald: Solo Musical
• Jordyn Newsom: Solo Musical
• Bella McDonald & Jordyn Newsom: Duet Musical
• Zoey Villavisanis: Monologue
• Mia Griswold & Reese Smith: Duet Musical

Excellent scored events:

• Olivia Gregoire: Publicity/Marketing Design
• Jazlyn Goode & Tessa Moody: Improvisation
• Bones Pfoutz: Costume Design
• Daniella Fontanez: Solo Musical
• Sophie Witte: Solo Musical
• Darla Weging: Monologue
• Ellena Kulik, Emmalyn Airmet, Gabrielle Pratt and Thomas Lemrow - Small Group Musical

Good Scored Events:

• Katie McKinney: Solo Musical
• Sophie Witte: Set Design

Below is a picture of those who stayed until the end to enjoy the performances in the auditorium, as well as a picture of the Stingray participants being their goofy selves 😂

Below are some photos from our Nights of Lights and Tree Lighting events last Friday and Saturday. Mrs. Chandrasekharan and her singers have been busy sharing their talents!

Did you know our library has an app?

The Destiny Discover app gives students access to 75+ (and growing) ebook titles at the touch of a finger! Students can also use this app to browse our library catalog and place holds on items they would like to read. Simply use your student’s SSO (single sign-on) information to access the app from your phone or tablet.

Please contact our media specialist, Mrs. Nicole Bohanan at nicole.bohanan@stjohns.k12.fl.us for more information.

Parent/Guardian of GRMS 8th graders,

It is time to make an informed and exciting decision about your student’s future! Mrs. Kristina Bransford, Academy Specialist at Pedro Menendez High School, has shared valuable insights. While most of our students will attend PMHS, there are also fantastic academy options at other SJC high schools.

Check out the dates for academy nights at other schools, and don’t miss the flier below for PMHS Academy Night. If you’re focused on PMHS, Mrs. Bransford’s message below has all you need. Remember, students in each high school’s zone get priority for available slots.

Dive into the details and get ready to shape an amazing high school experience!

___

ATTENTION ALL 8TH GRADE PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Get ready for an unforgettable evening at Pedro Menendez High School’s Academy Night on January 7th at 6:00pm! Discover how to make the most out of your child’s high school journey. Join the Falcon family in our auditorium to learn all about our exceptional programs of interest.

Explore our academy classrooms, meet our incredible teachers, and see firsthand why Menendez is the perfect fit for your student.

Academy enrollment opens from January 4th until January 24th at 5pm. Simply log into HAC with your student login ID and password, select the classes icon, go to the request tab, click edit, and make your top three selections. Don’t forget to click save at the top and ensure all your information is up to date. Notifications will be sent out via email in late February.

Don’t miss this chance to shape your child’s future! Here is link for more information https://cte.stjohns.k12.fl.us/join/

Contact our Career Specialist, Kristina Bransford, for questions or help Kristina.Bransford@stjohns.k12.fl.us 904-547-8681

Below is the promotion for St. Augustine High School's Academy Night.

The opportunity below is for girls only, and is taking place at Flagler College.

An opportunity for students to play baseball is below. Note that this is not affiliated with the school so you would need to call the number on the flyer with questions, not the school.

Beginning Monday, August 5th, office hours will be 7:00 am - 2:50 pm, Monday thru Friday.

How do you make a slow reindeer fast? Don't feed them!

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? It's Christmas, Eve!

Who is Santa's favorite singer? Elf-is Presley

(and my favorite) What do you call a bunch of chess players bragging in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer . . . 😉